Elevator platform safety lock



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April 16, 1957 L. K.' SANDERS ErAL 2,788,854

ELEvAToR PLATFORM SAFETY Loox v v l Filednarcn 15. 1954- 2 Sheets-sheet 1 li l1 "v l QQ Q l Im/Emol; U- Leo K. Sanders um fg Vaughn A. Sanders pil 16, 1957 L. K. SANDERS ET AL 2,788,864

v ELEVATOR PLATFORM SAFETY LOCK Filed march 15, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 Leo ^K.Sanders Vaughn A.Sanders United States Patent Office Y 2,788,864 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 EIEVATOR PLATFORM SAFETY LOCK Leo K. Sanders and Vaughn A. Sanders, Spokane, Wash., assignors to Pigeon Hole Parking, Inc., Spokane, Wash., a corporation of Washington Application March 15, 1954, Serial No. 416,276

1 Claim. (Cl. 187-80) This invention relates to elevators and more particularly to a safety lock for an elevator platform.

One object of the invention lies in the provision of a safety lock for an elevator platform which lock is adapted to cooperate with a vertically extending fixed element and secure the platform against downward movement in the event its normal means of support relaxes.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an elevator platform safety lock having a gripping device adapted to securely grip a vertically extending fixed element when actuated by relaxation of the normal platform support means.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an elevator platform safety lock which is available for instant use when found necessary and one which operates only when the normal support means of the platform fails and thus it is not subject to Wear of any consequence and therefore one which is not liable to become inoperative.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an elevator platform safety lock which is adapted to operate by reason of the relaxation of the normal support means for the platform and therefore one which is designed to secure the platform against falling even before any substantial downward movement of the released platform.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an elevator platform safety lock which is inexpensive to manufacture and may be assembled with facility from a minimum number of parts.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description and drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is disclosed. It should be understood however that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention except insofar as it is defined in the appended claim.

ln the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical elevation of the lower portion of a traveling vehicle elevator;

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross section taken just above the platform;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the platform having parts broken away for convenience of illustration;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross section as at line 4 4 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 5 is a view taken at line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that we have disclosed in Figure 1 an elevator of the type particularly designed for elevating automotive vehicles for storage purposes and one that is supported on parallel rails 11 by means of flanged wheels 12 journaled on and supporting the elevator 10. The elevator 10 is provided with a vertically movable platform 13 which is adapted to transport a vehicle to the level desired for storing.

Operation of the elevator platform 13 is clearly disclosed in our Patent No. 2,626,065 of January 20, 1953,

and it is not considered necessary to include a detailed description thereof in this work except to disclose that the elevator platform 13 is suspended at its corners by means of powered normally taut cables 14.

In carrying out the present invention we provide fixed vertical elements 15, one at each side of the elevator platform and positioned midway its length. It will, however, be understood that the conventional guideways 16 at .the corner of the platform may be employed in lieu of the intermediate guideways 15 if convenient.

The cables 14 are secured to the upper ends of laterally biased levers 17 which are hinged at 18 to the platform 13 by means of horizontally extending hinge pins 18. The means for laterally biasing the levers 17 are shown to be springs 19 under tension which are secured to the levers 17 intermediate their lengths and have their opposed ends secured to a fixed member 20 rigid with the platform 13. Each lever 17 extends below the fulcrum or hinge pin 18 and is there pivotally secured to a link 21 which extends longitudinally of .the platform 13.

In the present embodiment of the invention we have provided a horizontal transverse rock shaft 22 journaled in bearings 23 carried by the platform 13 and disposed in spaced relation to the guideway or fixed element 15. The rock shaft 22 is provided at each end with a crank arm 24 which is connected by means of a pivotal link 25 to a gripping dog 26 journaled on the platform 13 in such relation to the fixed element 15 as to be movable into gripping relation therewith when actuated by rocking movement of the rock shaft 22. A cooperating pressure block 27 is carried by the platform 13 adjacent to the fixed guideway 15 and is constructed and arranged to cooperate with the gripping dog 26 to prevent lateral bending of the fixed guideway 15 when gripped by the dog 26 and therefore cooperates with the gripping dog 26 to form means operable to grip the fixed guideway 15 when actuated.

The inner ends of the links 21 are adapted to rock the rock shaft 22 when any number of the levers 17 are moved laterally over the axis of their respective hinge pins 13 by action of the tension springs 19. To accomplish this function we provide a cross bar 28 having an aperture midway its length and adapted to receive the rock shaft 22. A key 29 is provided to secure the cross bar relative to the rock shaft 22. It will thus be seen that movement of the cross bar 28 eircumferentially with relation to the axis of the rock shaft 22 will cause the shaft 22 to rock.

Pivotally supported at the ends of the cross bars 28 are bearing blocks 30 which are adapted to rotate on axes parallel to the axis of the rock shaft 22. Each bearing block is provided with an aperture through which a companion link 21 is slidably engaged. It will be seen that the work movement of opposed links 21 is in opposed directions and the links are therefore provided with abutment stops 32 which are formed by threading a nut and a lock nut on the free end of the link 21 after it has been passed through the aperture of bearing block 30 whereupon movement of each link n the work direction will cause abutment stops 32 to strike the bearing blocks 3@ and shift the cross bar 2S to the position indicated by broken lines in Figure 5 and thus rock shaft 22, actuating gripping dog 26. It will be noted that any one of the links 21 may rock the shaft 22 while the movement of the other bearing blocks 20 effected thereby will cause the blocks to slide over their respective links 21 permitting the movement of rock shaft 22.

A tension spring 33 is secured to the crank arm 24 to normally position the gripping dog 26 out of gripping relation to -the fixed guideway 15.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that relaxation of any number of the cables 14 will cause their cooperating levers 17 to hinge laterally and thus actuate the gripping dog 26 to immediately grip the fixed guideway 15 and prevent downward movement o'f the platform 13.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

In combination with any elevator suspendedbypoweiled normally taut c ables, and a fixed vertical ,guideway associated therewith to lguide ver-tical `movements thereof; a safety lock comprising a pressure block Yrigidlys ectued to said elevator and disposed adjacent to Said guideway; a gripping dog pivotally carried by said Ielevator adjacent to said guideway diametrically opposed to said pressure block and when actuated cooperating therewith to grip said guideway, whereby the elevator is supportedmagainst downward movement; a horizontally disposed rock `shaft journaled on said elevator and operably connected to actuate .saidrgrpping dog whenrroclged; a transverse bar secured to said rock shaft andV s lidablyreceiving oppositely extending "linltsV at-diametrically opposed points spaced from the rock shaft; abutment stops carried .by each link for engaging and movinggsaid bar to rock said ment with said cables, whereby lrelaxation `,ofrwany said cable elects lateral movement of its companionV lever to etectwor-k :stroke movement -of its companionlink.

177,256 Libotte May 9, 1876 501,396 Albro July 11, 1893 1,031,470 Sanna July 2, 1912 1,163,239 Iron ,Dec. 7,1915 2,583,907 Vaydo YYlan. '29, v1952 2,618,361 Zindt 'Nov. 18, 1952 

